Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) offers sustainable bioenergy production and resilience to climate change

Owen, Nick A.; Fahy, Kieran F.; Griffiths, Howard

doi:10.1111/gcbb.12272

Cited by 39 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…This study is the first field experiment to compare Agave production under a range of controlled water inputs. The production of Agave species measured in this study was lower than previously reported Agave biomass in semiarid regions ( e.g., Davis et al ., ), but A. tequilana production was similar to modeled projections of A. tequilana biomass potential in the United States (Owen et al ., ). There are no previous reports of A. americana production, but yields were lower than theoretical production rates for CAM plants (Nobel, ; Borland et al ., ; Davis et al ., ), and far below the theoretical predictions of 43 Mg ha −1 yr −1 for high‐yielding CAM plants (Borland et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Productivity and water use efficiency ofAgave americanain the first field trial as bioenergy feedstock on arid lands

et al. 2016

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Agave species are high-yielding crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants, some of which are grown commercially and recognized as potential bioenergy species for dry regions of the world. This study is the first field trial of Agave species for bioenergy in the United States, and was established to compare the production of Agave americana with the production of Agave tequilana and Agave fourcroydes, which are produced commercially in Mexico for tequila and fiber. The field trial included four experimental irrigation levels to test the response of biomass production to water inputs. After 3 years, annual production of healthy A. americana plants reached 9.3 Mg dry mass ha À1 yr À1 (including pup mass) with 530 mm of annual water inputs, including both rainfall and irrigation. Yields in the most arid conditions tested (300 mm yr À1 water input) were 2.0-4.0 Mg dry mass ha À1 yr À1. Agave tequilana and Agave fourcroydes were severely damaged by cold in the first winter, and produced maximum yields of only 0.04 Mg ha À1 yr À1 and 0.26 Mg ha À1 yr À1, respectively. The agave snout weevil (Scyphophorus acupunctatus) emerged as an important challenge for A. americana cropping, killing a greater number of plants in the higher irrigation treatments. Physiological differences in A. americana plants across irrigation treatments were most evident in the warmest season, with gas exchange beginning up to 3 h earlier and water use efficiency declining in treatments with the greatest water input (780 mm yr À1 water input). Yields were lower than previous projections for Agave species, but results from this study suggest that A. americana has potential as a bioenergy crop and would have substantially reduced irrigation requirements relative to conventional crops in the southwestern USA. Challenges for pest management and harvesting must still be addressed before an efficient production system that uses Agave can be realized.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Productivity and water use efficiency ofAgave americanain the first field trial as bioenergy feedstock on arid lands

et al. 2016

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“…; Butterbach‐bahl & Kiese ) and with productivity models (Owen & Griffiths ; Owen et al . ; Lewis et al . ), but canopy‐scale studies are rare.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eddy covariance captures four‐phase crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) gas exchange signature in Agave

Owen

Choncubhair

Males

et al. 2015

Plant Cell & Environment

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Mass and energy fluxes were measured over a field of Agave tequilana in Mexico using eddy covariance (EC) methodology. Data were gathered over 252 d, including the transition from wet to dry periods. Net ecosystem exchanges (FN,EC ) displayed a crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) rhythm that alternated from CO2 sink at night to CO2 source during the day, and partitioned canopy fluxes (FA,EC ) showed a characteristic four-phase CO2 exchange pattern. Results were cross-validated against diel changes in titratable acidity, leaf-unfurling rates, energy exchange fluxes and reported biomass yields. Projected carbon balance (g C m(-2) year(-1) , mean ± 95% confidence interval) indicated the site was a net sink of -333 ± 24, of which contributions from soil respiration were +692 ± 7, and FA,EC was -1025 ± 25. EC estimated biomass yield was 20.1 Mg (dry) ha(-1) year(-1) . Average integrated daily FA,EC was -234 ± 5 mmol CO2 m(-2) d(-1) and persisted almost unchanged after 70 d of drought conditions. Regression analyses were performed on the EC data to identify the best environmental predictors of FA . Results suggest that the carbon acquisition strategy of Agave offers productivity and drought resilience advantages over conventional semi-arid C3 and C4 bioenergy candidates.

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“…De hecho, cuando se controla el efecto de los otros factores, solamente la cobertura de mantillo tiene una asociación fuerte con la cobertura de A. angustifolia. Es conocida la capacidad de los agaves de sobrevivir en suelos pobres y secos (Ramírez-Tobías et al, 2014;Owen et al, 2015), y su habilidad de asociarse con hongos micorrizó-genos (Carmona-Escalante et al, 2013), que le permiten aumentar su eficiencia en la adquisición de agua y nutrimentos edáficos.…”

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Factores ambientales relacionados con la cobertura de Agave angustifolia (Asparagaceae) en el matorral costero de Yucatán, México

2018

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Resumen:Antecedentes y Objetivos: Agave angustifolia, o chelem, es el único maguey silvestre de la Península de Yucatán y es el ancestro de especies domesticadas de gran valor económico y cultural. Presta importantes servicios ambientales como recurso alimenticio para la fauna, fijación de suelos arenosos y captura de carbono en ambientes áridos con suelos pobres. Es un cultivo potencial de cara al aumento de las sequías predichas para la región y del empobrecimiento genético del henequén. El objetivo de este trabajo es recabar datos sobre la densidad de sus poblaciones, su patrón espacial, estructura poblacional y la relación entre su abundancia y los factores ambientales en el matorral costero de Yucatán, con el fin de evaluar su uso en la restauración ecológica. Métodos: Se muestrearon tres localidades costeras: Chuburná (Ch), San Benito (SB) y Río Lagartos (RL). En SB y RL se trazaron 36 cuadrantes de 4 m 2 ; dentro de cada uno se estimó el porcentaje de cobertura de Agave angustifolia, el de los arbustos de más de 1 m de alto y la cobertura de mantillo. Se tomaron muestras de suelo a las que se analizó pH, conductividad eléctrica, nitrógeno total, materia orgánica y escala de gris. Se describieron la densidad poblacional, distribución espacial y estructura por tamaños de A. angustifolia en SB y Ch.Resultados clave: La cobertura de Agave angustifolia se correlaciona negativamente con la cobertura de arbustos y mantillo, y cantidad de materia orgánica. Las densidades de su población fueron inferiores a 0.1 individuos/m 2 , hubo una mayor proporción de plántulas y su distribución espacial es agregada. Conclusiones: Al soportar suelos pobres, altas temperaturas y radiación solar, la especie puede servir para restaurar algunas funciones ecológicas en las zonas más áridas de la costa donde la vegetación ha sido severamente dañada. Palabras clave: Arenosol, distribución espacial, estructura poblacional, suculenta, taxon emparentado con cultivos, zonas semiáridas. AbstRAct:Background and Aims: Agave angustifolia, or chelem, is the only wild species of the Yucatán Peninsula and is the ancestor of cultivated species with great economic and cultural values. It provides important environmental services such as food source for fauna, it fixes sandy soils and sequesters carbon in arid habitats with poor soils. It is a potential crop that may face the dryness exacerbation expected for the region and the genetic erosion of henequen. The aim of this work is to gather data about its population density, spatial pattern, size structure, and the relationship between its abundance and environmental factors of the Yucatán coastal scrublands, in order to assess the use of the species for ecological restauration purposes. Methods: Field work was carried out in three coastal sites: Chuburná (Ch), San Benito, (SB) and Río Lagartos (RL). Thirty six 4 m 2 plots were placed in SB and RL; we estimated the relative cover of Agave angustifolia, shrubs higher than 1 m and litter in each plot. Potential of Hidrogen (pH), electric conductivit...

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Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) offers sustainable bioenergy production and resilience to climate change

Cited by 39 publications

References 63 publications

Productivity and water use efficiency ofAgave americanain the first field trial as bioenergy feedstock on arid lands

Productivity and water use efficiency ofAgave americanain the first field trial as bioenergy feedstock on arid lands

Eddy covariance captures four‐phase crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) gas exchange signature in Agave

Factores ambientales relacionados con la cobertura de Agave angustifolia (Asparagaceae) en el matorral costero de Yucatán, México

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